Method and apparatus for loading or unloading vehicle carrying railway cars



June 10, 1969 J. E. GRAHAM 3,448,693-

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING-OR UNLOADING VEHICLE CARRYING RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Aug. 8, 1966 Sheet of 6 INVENTOR Jaw/m5. 4554,94?

June 10, 1969 J. E. GRAHAM 4 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING VEHICLE CARRYING RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Aug. 8, 1966 Sheet Z of 6 ATTORNEYS June 10, 1969 J. E. GRAHAM 3,4

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING VEHICLE CARRYING RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Aug. 8, 1966 Sheet 5 of 6 mvmon Jsf s Z ,QMQM

BY A Z4M.

June 10, 1969 J GRAHAM 3,448,693

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING VEHICLE CARRYING RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Aug. 8, 1966 Sheet 4 of s r5057 v/wa V430 lkvmon 0/255 7 flaw/4n ATTORN June 10, 1969 J E. GRAHAM 3,448,693

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING VEHICLE CARRYING RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Aug. 9. 1966 Sheet 5 of s GTTQRNEYs June 10, 1969 E.- GRAHAM 3,448,693

METHOD AND APPARATU 0R DING 0R UNLOADING VEHICLE CARRYING ILWAY CARS Original Filed Aug. 8, 1966 Sheet 6 of e mx 8 H & J 6? K m 1 6) K N [k 1 1% w m m w W u mom? United States Patent 3,448,693 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING OR UEIIiOADING VEHICLE CARRYING RAILWAY C S Joseph E. Graham, 1900 Lismore Lane, Baltimore, Md. 21228 Original application Aug. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 571,101, now Patent No. 3,442,223, dated May 6, 1969. Divided and this application Apr. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 736,923

Int. Cl. B61j 1/10; B60s 13/02; B65b 4/00 US. Cl. 104-48 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A system and method for loading and unloading vehicles which move along a predetermined pathway. A transfer table, having a pair of parallel tracks thereon, is moveable between a first position and a second position. The transfer table, when in the first position, is effective to align, one of said parallel pairs of tracks with the predetermined pathway and the other of the parallel pair of tracks with a loading and unloading platform located to one side of the predetermined pathway. The transfer table, when moved to its second position, is effective to locate the one pair of parallel tracks in registry with a second loading and unloading platform located to the other side of the predetermined pathway while the other of the pairs of tracks is in alignment with the predetermined pathway. A railroad car may be located on one of the pairs of parallel tracks and then moved to one of the loading and unloading platforms while, simultaneously a second car may be positioned on the other of said tracks which is in alignment with a predetermined pathway. The transfer table is then operated to its other position wherein the second car may now be loaded or unloaded and the first car may be removed from the transfer table while a third car is located thereon and the operation may then be repeated.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 571,101 filed Aug. 8, 1966.

This invention relates to an improved method and system for loading and unloading vehicles which move along a predetermined pathway and in particular this invention relates to an improved method and system for loading or unloading such vehicles in a rapid and economical manner.

Although this invention may be employed in any situation where vehicles are constrained to move over a predetermined pathway, it will be described in relation to the movement of railway cars over tracks, the railway cars being flat cars which transport trailers. These trailers are normally moved onto the railway cars by tractor trucks in a manner which is well known. The transportation of trailers on flat railway cars has now become commonplace and its importance in the transportation industry is now established. However, the facilities originally built to handle this new and growing approach to freight transportation have now become inadequate and the operating expenses thereof are incompatible with the requirements of (1) competing with other forms of transportation and (2) pleasing impatient customers.

To date, railroads have approached the problem of transporting trailers on railway flat cars by loading or unloading cars circus-train fashion over a ramp or by using an overhead traveling crane. Neither method is now satisfactory.

Thus, it is a primary purpose of this invention to provide an improved method and system for loading or unloading vehicles which are constrained to move over a predetermined pathway, such as a railway track.

It is another purpose of this invention to provide an improved method and system for loading or unloading trailers from railway cars in a rapid and economical manner.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the appended claims and the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a transfer table employed in the invention;

FIGURE 2 diagrammatically illustrates in elevation a series of fiat cars preparatory to the unloading thereof in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIGURES 3, 4, and 5 illustrate sequentially in time the unloading of the railway cars illustrated in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 6 illustrates an overall system layout for loading and unloading railway fiat cars in a railroad yard;

FIGURE 7 diagrammatically illustrates in exaggerated scale typical grading of a system layout shown in FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 8 illustrates in more detail the plan view of the transfer table as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal elevation of the transfer table shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an end elevation of the transfer table shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a detailed illustration of the end bearing roller of the transfer table; and

FIGURE 12 is a schematic and diagrammatic illustration of the electrical circuitry associated with the invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is diagrammatically illustrated a plan view of the transfer table 10 employed in this invention together with unloading areas 12, 14, 16, and 18 used in conjunction therewith. Although the ramps 12 through 18 are referred to as unloading ramps, it will become apparent from the following description of the invention that these ramps may also be employed for loading purposes. However, to simplify the description of the invention, it will be assumed that these ramps are employed for unloading purposes.

The transfer table 10 includes two transfer tracks 20 and 22 which are fixed in space with respect to one another. In the position shown in FIGURE 1, the track 20 of the transfer table 10 is aligned with a main track having two sections 24a and 24b.

As will be shown in more detail hereinafter, loaded railway flat cars move from section 24a to the transfer track 20. Suitable means are provided on the track 20 for positioning the railway car thereon approximately at the center thereof. Note also that the track 20 is aligned with the main track 24b and thus if the car on transfer track 20 is already unloaded, it will be removed from the transfer track 20 to the main track section 24b. Of course, the roles of sections 24a and 24b may be interchanged.

Rails 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d, and 2512 are provided so that the transfer table may be laterally displaced with respect to the main track sections 24a and 24b. Further means are provided (to be described hereinafter in more detail) for displacing the transfer table along the rails 25a through 25e. Thus when the transfer table 10 is fully laterally displaced from the position shown in FIGURE 1, the track 22 will be aligned with the main track sections 24a and 24b and the track 20 will be aligned with the unloading ramps 14 and 16. Thus it can be seen that while loading or unloading is occurring from one of the transfer tracks, the other of the transfer tracks is in a position to receive an- 0 other railway car from the main track 24a.

fer table shown in FIGURE 1. This operation will be described with respect to the unloading of the railway fiat cars 26, 28, and 30 shown in FIGURE 2. Each of these cars carries two trailers of various types and sizes, that is, car 26 carries two cargo trailers 32 and 34, car 28 carries oil trailers 36 and .38, and car 30 carries open trailers 40 and 42. In FIGURE 2, car 26 is shown positioned on the transfer table 10. A trackmobile 44 may be employed to move the cars onto the transfer table in a manner which will be described in more detail hereinafter.

'Referring to FIGURE 3, a sectional view taken along 3-3 of FIGURE 1 is modified so that the railway car 26 is positioned on the track 20 of transfer table 10. Thus, the railway car 26 is positioned between the unloading ramps 12 and 14. Further, the transfer track 22 is positioned adjacent to unloading ramp 12. However, at this time there is no car on this track.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, there is shown a sectional view of FIGURE 1 taken along line 33 modified so that the car 28 is positioned on the transfer track 22. However, before the car 28 can be positioned on the track 22, the transfer table 10 must be moved to position shown in FIGURE 4. When this occurs, the trailer 34 is adjacent the unloading ramp 14 and, therefore, ready to be removed from the railway car 26 by a tractor truck (not shown) which is positioned on the raliway car. As can be seen in FIGURE 2, the tractor trucks move up the unloading ramp to the unloading areas which are at the same elevation as the floor of the flat cars. Further, since unloading ramps are provided at both ends of the flat cars, the trailers 32 and 34 may be positioned in either direction along the flat car 26. After the trailers 32 and 34 have been removed f-rom flat car 26, the trailers 36 and 38 must be removed from car 28 while car 26 is removed from the transfer table in a manner which will now be described.

Reference should be made to FIGURE which shows a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1 modified so that the railway car 30 is positioned on track 20. Before the railway car 30 is positioned with the trailers 40 and 42, can be positioned on track 20 of transfer table 10, the transfer table must be moved to its original position shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. After this is done, the trailer 38 is positioned adjacent the loading platform 12 preparatory to the unloading thereof from the flat car 28. At the same time, the car 30 is pushed into the car 26 thereby pushing car 26 from the transfer table while at the same time positioning car 30 on track 20. Thus it can be seen that this process can be repeated and continued in a rapid and economical manner which permits the simultaneous unloading of trailers from the transfer table while at the same time positioning the next trailers thereon.

Reference should now be made to FIGURE 6 which illustrates an overall system layout for loading and unloading railway flat cars. The system includes a plurality of incoming or receiving tracks 240. Each of these tracks is switched to main track 24a by suitable run-through switches (not shown). On the other side of the transfer table, the main track 24b connects to a plurality of empty, loading yard tracks 24d. These tracks are designated for loading according to destination. Trailers are loaded onto the empty railway cars from loading platform 52. The system shown in FIGURE 6 is optional and the loading of trailers onto the railway cars may be done at the transfer table in the same manner as that described hereinbefore with respect to the unloading of the railway cars as shown in FIGURES 3 through 5. Power switches (not shown) located at point 49 may be remotely controlled from a control station 51 suitably located with respect to the transfer table.

Reference should now be made to FIGURE 7 which illustrates in exaggerated scale typical grading employed in an overall system layout. The incline 46 represents the approach to the transfer table area 48 which is level. The grading of the track away from the transfer table area is shown at '50. The unloaded cars pass down incline 50 and are passed to a loading platform 52, after passing by speed sensing retarders 54, which may be of any well known type.

Referring to FIGURE 8, there is shown a plan view of the transfer table 10 together with the loading areas 12, 14, 16, and 18, this plan view being in more detail than that shown in FIGURE 1. The transfer table may have a grating (not shown) at the top thereof. Adjacent each of the tracks 20 and 22 are provided retarders 56 and 58. These retarders may be of any conventional well-known type. The retarders are actuated by suitable detectors 60 and 62 such as electric eyes disposed adjacent the track 24a. Thus when a car is moved from track 24a onto transfer track 22, the electric eyes cause the retarders to operate, thereby positioning the railway car on the transfer table 10. In particular, the interruption of the light beam between detectors 60 and 62 caused by a passing car causes the retarders to open, thereby permitting entry of a car on the table after the rear coupling of the car has passed the light ray, the retarders close and hold the car in place. A schematic diagram illustrating electrical circuitry for doing this is shown in FIGURE 12, which will be described hereinafter. The retarders are located on the rails of the tracks 20 and 22 away from area 59 thereby permitting this area to be used by workmen.

The transfer table is mechanically connected by suitable means to the ends of rams or piston means 64 and 66, which are preferably hydraulically operated in a known manner and of the double-action type. The length of each of these pistons is a precise value to insure proper alignment of the tracks 20 and 22 with the main track sections 24a and 241; when the transfer table is in either of its extreme lateral positions. Thus, when the rams 64 and 66 are completely retracted within cylinders 68 and 70, the track 22 is aligned with main track sections 24a and 24b, while when rams 64 and 66 are completely extended, the transfer track 20 is aligned with the main track sections 24a and 24b. The movement of the rams 64 and 66 is controlled by a remote control switch which is described in more detail hereinafter with respect to FIG- URE 12. The transfer table moves along rails 25a through 25s, see FIGURE 9. There are flanged wheels 720 through 72e connected to the transfer table which are respectively associated with the rails 25a through 252. Rollers 74, 75, 76, and 77 are also provided at the ends of the transfer table. These rollers move with respect to a rubbing strip 79 placed on the side walls of the pit within which the transfer table moves, see FIGURE 11. The roller prevents the transfer table from drifting against either of the backwalls or becoming wedged by the application of uneven power from the hydraulic rams. Handrails 81 and 83 are provided at the sides of the transfer table.

Referring to FIGURE 8, note that open space exists between the transfer table and the loading ramps 12-18. These spaces may be crossed by placing thereover a suitable cover (skid plates) thereby permitting the movement of the tractors onto the railway cars for removal of the trailers.

There is also provided a hydraulic power package 82 (see FIGURE 8) for simultaneously activating the hydraulic rams 64 and 66. The power package includes, referring to FIGURE 12, (1) a pump 84 for driving the rams 64 and 66 through suitable mechanical linkage 85 and 87 and (2) an electric motor 66 for actuating the pump 84. The power package 84 also includes a reservoir (not shown) and electrical leads (not shown) for the power feeders and control as is well known to those having ordinary skill in this art. A power source 88 energizes motor 86 through switch 90 which is closed by an operator located at remote control point 51 (see FIGURE 6).

Located on the transfer table itself is another hydraulic power package 92 employed to activate the hydraulic retarders 56 and 58. This package includes a pump 94 for actuating the retarders and an electrical motor 96 for actuating the pump and thereby closing the retarders.

The power package 92 also includes a suitable reservoir and electrical leads for completing the package. The motor 96 may also be energized from source 88, as shown in FIGURE 12, through either electric eye switch 98' or manual control switch 100. The electric eye switch 98 is opened (thereby releasing retarders 56 and 58) when a fiat car passes between the detectors 60 and 62. The switch 100 is preferably located :at the control point mentioned hereinbefore to override the electric eye feature and thereby permit the passage of cars across the transfer table without being stopped whenever desired.

The transfer table, referring to FIGURE 8, also includes power outlets 102 and 104 which are connected to a retractable reel 106. The power outlets 102 and I104 facilitate the use of power wrenches, which are used to lower the trailer stanchions.

Electric eyes could also be placed at critical clearance points (that is, points 1, 103, 105, and 107) which would activate red and green lights on control panels at the control point, the green indicating that a car placed on the table would clear and red indicating that the car would not clear if the table were activated. Thus, premature activation of the table is avoided. Running rail alignment detectors are also preferably employed to prevent derailments when cars are entering the table.

Thus there has now been described a system for loading or unloading a sequence of vehicle transporting railway cars (cars 26 through 30) which normally move along a main track (24a and 24b). The system comprises at least two transfer tracks (tracks 20 and 22) for receiving railway cars from the main track, the tnansfer tracks being spatially fixed with respect to one another and supported by a support member (transfer table 10).

The loading and unloading system also broadly includes at least one loading or unloading point, each point including a platform (ramp 12) disposed at one side of one section of the main track (section 24a) and at least one further loading or unloading point (ramp 14) disposed at the side of the main track section 24w opposite the aforementioned one side. Means are also provided for moving the transfer track to a first position (see FIG- URE 3) so that the first track (track 22) of the aforementioned two transfer tracks is adjacent the loading point whereby a first or nth car (car 26) of the sequence of vehicle transporting railway oars may be loaded or unloaded while at the same time the second track (track 20) of the twotransfer tracks is aligned with the main track sections 24 and 24b) whereby a second or nth+1 car (car 28) of the vehicle transporting nailway cars may be positioned on the second track 20 side-by-side the first or nth car.

A trackmobile 44 may cause the first of the railway cars to be positioned on the transfer table by pushing it thereon, the electric eyes 60 and 62 in conjunction with the retarders 56 and 58 controlling the positioning of the car on the transfer track. When a railway car (such as the nth car) is to be removed from a transfer track, the trackmobile pushes the next car (or the nth+2 car) to be positioned on the transfer track into the nth car currently on the track thereby forcing the car off the table. This method of removing cars from an unloading track has successfully been employed at coal dumping facilities such as at Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Md.

Rather than employ a trackmobile to push the cars off the transfer table in the abovedescribed manner, a separate track (not shown) may be provided adjacent the transfer tracks, the separate track carrying a special engine for moving the railway cars on and ofl. the transfer table, Switch or yard engines may also be employed to place cars on the transfer table.

Thus, broadly speaking, the trackmobile together with the retarders 56 and 58 on the transfer tracks may be broadly described as means for placing railway cars on the transfer tracks. The means for removing railway cars from the transfer table broadly includes not only the trackmobile but also the next car to be placed on the table and the downward grade away from the transfer table, as indicated at 50 of FIGURE 7.

Numerous modifications of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing disclosure. During such a reading, it will be evident that this invention has provided a unique method and equipment for accomplishing the objects and advantages, and even further modifications will be apparent from this disclosure. It is to be understood, however, that the foregoing disclosure is to be considered exemplary and not limitative.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for loading and unloading a sequence of vehicles which are constrained to move along a predetermined pathway, said method including the steps of:

(1) laterally displacing in a first direction the nth vehicle of said sequence from said predetermined pathway to a first point located at one side of said pathway;

(2) transferring cargo with respect to said vehicle at said point;

(3) positioning the nth-l-l vehicle side-by-side said nth vehicle;

(4) laterally displacing in a second direction with respect to said first direction the nth and nth+1 vehicles of said sequence so that said nth vehicle is aligned with said predetermined pathway and said nth+1 vehicle is at a second point located at the side opposite said one side of said predetermined pathway; and

(5) transferring cargo with respect to said nth-l-l vehicle at said second point.

2. A method as in claim 1 including the step 6 of displacing the nth vehicle from said side-by-side position while at the same time positioning the nth+2 vehicle side-by-side the nth+1 vehicle, step 6 occurring simultaneously with step 5.

3. A method as in claim 1 including step 3 occurring simultaneously with step 2.

4. A method as in claim 1 including the step 6 of displacing the nth vehicle from said side-by-side position while at the same time positioning the nth+2 vehicle sideby-side nth+1 vehicle.

5. A method as in claim 4 including step 3 occurring simultaneously with step 2 and step 6 occurring simultaneously with step 5.

6. A method for loading and unloading a sequence of vehicles which have constrained to move along a predetermined pathway, said method including the steps of:

(1) positioning the nth vehicle of said sequence on a transfer table;

(2) laterally displacing said transfer table in a first direction with respect to said predetermined pathway to position said nth vehicle in a first loading and unloading area at one side of said predetermined pathway;

(3) transferring cargo between said nth vehicle and said first area;

(4) positioning the nth+1 vehicle on said transfer table side-by-side with said nth vehicle;

(5) laterally displacing said transfer table in a second direction with respect to said predetermined pathway to position said nth vehicle in alignment with said predetermined pathway and to position said nth+l vehicle in a second loading and unloading area at the side of said predetermined pathway opposite sai one side of said pathway; and

(6) transferring cargo between said nth+1 vehicle and said second area.

7. A method as in claim 6 including step 4 occurring simultaneously with step 3.

8. A method as in claim 6 including the step 5 of displacing the nth vehicle from said side-by-side position while at the same time positioning the nth+2 vehicle side-by-side with said nth+1 vehicle.

7 9. A method as in claim 8 including step 4 occurring simultaneously with step 3 and step 5 occurring simultaneously with step 6.

10. A method as in claim 6 wherein step 1 includes securing said nth vehicle to prevent movement of said 5 nth vehicle relative to said transfer table and wherein step 4 includes securing said nth+1 vehicle to prevent movement of said nth+1 vehicle with respect to said transfer table.

11. A method as in claim 10 including the step 5 of releasing the nth vehicle to permit movement of said nth vehicle with respect to said transfer table and displacing said nth vehicle from said side-by-side position while at the same time positioning the nth+2 vehicle side-by-side said nth+1 vehicle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,366,292 1/1921 Smith 10448 2,944,687 7/1960 Segur 214-152 2,976,817 3/1961 Stapp 104'48 1O ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

C. G. LYON, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 104-29; 214-152 

